Tamales Nortenos - Tamales Northern Style

There are several
different styles of tamales. Tamales from central Mexico are thick and fluffy and are
mostly dough. Many commercially made tamales in the United States are similar. I have
found tamales in Colorado restaurants fit this description. This recipe is for homemade
tamales as prepared in Northern Mexico and is typical of the tamales made in Texas. They
are thin, about the thickness of a very fat finger, and about 2 1/2 inches long. There is
a high ratio of the strongly chile and cumin flavored filling to the dough.

These are the kind of tamales I grew up on. I fondly
remember living in San Antonio where every small Mexican grocery had a steamer full of
homemade tamales on the counter. My parents would stop and pick up a dozen and pass a
couple of the steaming hot tamales to my brother and me in the backseat. A few years ago
while living in Denver I was frustrated with the tasteless, doughy mass that passes for a
tamale there and became determined to learn to make my own.

The subject of making
tamales comes up frequently on food-related mailing lists and newsgroups. The process is
difficult to explain verbally. Now, with the magic of the internet I can share the secret
of homemade tamales pictorially. Making tamales is a time-consuming, labor-intensive
effort but don't be discouraged. With a little practice you can turn out professional
looking homemade tamales and you won't regret it. Just pick an afternoon to devote to
tamale making and give it a try. Tamales freeze well and can either be reheated in the
microwave or by steaming.

The Corn Husks

Tamales are a tube of dough with a
meat filling that is cooked by steaming. They are held together while steaming by rolling
in a dried corn husk. Dried corn husks are packaged specifically for making tamales and
can be purchased in Latin American markets or supermarkets that carry Latin American
products. They are also available by mail order.

The dried husks are brittle and
must be soaked in water to soften them before they can be rolled into tamales. In the
package, the husks for a whole ear of corn are usually pressed together. Separate the
individual husks being careful not to break them, since they are fragile when dry.

Place the separated husks in a large pot and cover with
hot water. Leave them to soak for about one hour. You can put a plate with a heavy object
on it on top of the tamales to keep them submerged. When soft, rinse the husks well and
put back into a pot of clean water.

Tip: If you have trouble finding corn husks in your area you can use other
materials to roll them in. Here's a tip from Dan
Keiser of Mardi Gras Catering Inc. in Slidell, LA:

"When we first started
making tamales we discovered we were not talented enough to roll them in corn husk. We
tried standard size coffee filters, and found them quick and easy to use. They lose a lot
in presentation but we still use them when we need to make hundreds of tamales at
once."

One Puerto Rican friend of mine in Miami suggested using coffee filters of all
things. She makes a PR dish known as 'Pastellitos', which are similar to Mexican tamales.
She uses the coffee filters all the time. I have had her pastellitos and they are very
good. The shape and texture is similar to a Mexican tamale -- a masa dough filled with
meat and plantains which is wrapped and steamed like a tamale."

The Filling

While the husks are soaking,
prepare the meat filling. The chile used to season tamales is the ancho. The ancho
is the ripened, dried form of the poblano. It has a rich, smoky flavor. While other dried
chiles can be used for seasoning, the ancho provides an authentic flavor. Traditionally,
ancho alone is used but I like to use a combination of chiles for seasoning tamales.

Chile Seasoning

Toast the dried chiles on a hot
cast-iron griddle for a few minutes on each side. Be careful not to burn the chiles or
they will have a bitter taste. As the chiles toast, they will become soft and pliable and
may puff up. Put aside to cool. The chiles will become very crisp and brittle when cooled.

When cool, remove the seeds and stems and
crumble into small pieces. Put the pieces into a coffee mill or spice grinder and grind
into a fine powder. Store the ground chile mix in a jar to use for seasoning other Mexican
dishes.

You can use a variety of meats for
making tamales. I use either beef or chicken, but pork is traditional. I also use
vegetable shortening, although again, lard is traditionally used in Mexico. Cut the meat
into 1" to 2" chunks. Heat the lard or shortening in a heavy bottomed pot and
brown the meat. When brown, add enough water to cover the meat and add the onions and
garlic. Simmer until the meat is fork tender and flakes apart. For beef shoulder roast
this will take about 2 - 3 hours.

While the meat is cooking, toast
the cumin seeds on a cast iron griddle and then grind into a fine powder using a coffee
mill or spice grinder and set aside.

When the
meat is cooked tender, set aside to cool. Separate the meat chunks from the broth,
reserving the broth. Shred the meat into small strands.

Heat 2 tablespoons of lard or
shortening in a heavy pan, preferably cast iron. Add the chile seasoning and cumin and
stir for a few seconds. Add the meat and fry for two or three minutes. Add the reserved
broth and simmer until the liquid level is reduced. The mixture should be soupy. Set aside
to cool while you make the masa.

The Masa

The tamale dough, or masa,
is made from masa harina, a corn flour that is also used for making tortillas. Masa mix
can be purchased in Latin American markets or supermarkets that carry Latin American
products. It can also be purchased by mail order if not available locally. It is NOT the
same as corn meal.

I recently found a new
version of Maseca brand masa that is specifically formulated for tamales. It is a little
coarser than the tortilla masa and gives the tamales a better texture. If you are lucky
enough to live in an area with a large Hispanic population, you can buy prepared masa and
save yourself the trouble of having to mix it from scratch.

Tamale Masa

Combine masa, baking powder and
salt in a bowl. Dissolve the boullion in the lukewarm water to make a broth. Mix the broth
into the masa a little at a time, working with your fingers to make a moist dough.

Makes about 3 1/2 to 4 dozen tamales.

In a small bowl, beat lard or
shortening until fluffy, add to masa and beat until masa has a spongy texture.

The Tamales

Remove a soaked corn husk from the
water and shake to remove excess water. Start with the largest husks because they will be
easier to roll. If you end up with a lot of small husks, you can lay two together,
overlapping about 1/2" but this is a little trickier and may take some practice. Lay
the husk flat on a plate and spread about 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons (depending on the size of
the husk) of masa in the center. Don't use too much! The easiest way to spread the masa is
to spoon it onto the husk and spread it with your fingers. If the masa is sticky, wet your
hands.

Add about 1 tablespoon of meat filling on
top of the masa. Again, don't use too much.

Now comes the tricky part. Roll the
corn husk so that the filling is enclosed in the masa. Don't worry if the filling is not
completely surrounded with masa. When the masa cooks it will become firm and the tamale
will be fine. Fold over each end. If the husks are very thick, you may find it difficult
to fold the large end and get it to stay. If this is the case, don't worry about folding
the large end and put that end up when you put the tamales into the steamer.

Load the tamales into a steamer
standing them up vertically. I use a large pot with a steamer basket in the bottom. When
all the tamales are rolled, and the steamer is full, cover with a damp cloth and steam
until the tamales are done, about 2 to 3 hours. During steaming it is very important to
keep the water at a low boil. Also, DO NOT let the steamer boil out of water.

TIP:
Place a coin, a penny works good, in the bottom of the steamer with the water. You can
tell when the water is boiling because you can hear the coin rattling around. If the coin
stops rattling, the water has boiled away and you should add more.

After about 2 hours, you may want to pull out a
tamale and sample it. Let it cool for a few minutes and then unroll the husk. The tamale
should be soft and firm and not mushy.

The Finished Product

Now you get to enjoy the fruits of
your labor. Bite into one of these delicacies and you will know the answer to the question
"Why am I doing this?" that you kept asking yourself while you were making them.

As I said in the beginning, tamales can be a lot
of work, but they are worth it and I strongly encourage you to give it a try. If you have
further questions, please send me mail and I will try to help.